1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus that authenticates a toner cartridge to prevent an unauthorized use of the toner cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus (such as a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a copy machine, and a multifunction peripheral) has a print function that uses a plurality of consumables (such as a toner cartridge). Each of the consumables needs to be replaced after being used for a certain period of time due to a limited life span thereof depending on the amount used.
Typically, a customer replacement unit memory (CRUM), which is a semiconductor memory, is mounted on a consumable in order to achieve an enhancement in picture quality or a desired management for the life span of the consumable. Using the toner cartridge as an example, the serial number of the cartridge, the cartridge supplier, the residual amount of toner, and the state of toner are stored in the CRUM.
As the number of sheets of print media printed in accordance with a print operation increases, the amount of toner consumed increases. As a result, the amount of toner remaining in the toner cartridge varies. Accordingly, a controller executes operations to read the information stored in the CRUM and to store, in the CRUM, information as to the residual amount of toner varied in accordance with a print operation.
Generally, conventional image forming apparatuses use a detachable toner cartridge. For this reason, unauthorized damage to the information of the CRUM attached to the toner cartridge may easily occur. As a result, wrong uses of the toner cartridge are possible. For example, it may be possible to fill poor-quality toner in a consumed toner cartridge in order to further use the toner cartridge for print operations. Due to such an unauthorized use, a degradation in printing quality and a failure of the corresponding image forming apparatus may result. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the reliability of the information stored in the CRUM is degraded.